In this deeply personal conversation on the Asians in Art Podcast, we sit down with Radhika Vekaria — Grammy-nominated British Indian–East African vocalist, composer, sensory artist and speaker whose work explores the transformative power of sound.

Drawing on Sanskrit narratives, Vedic hymns and the science of sound, her music bridges thousands of years of tradition with the contemporary world. Her album Warriors of Light received a 2025 GRAMMY® nomination. Rolling Stones called the album a "a deeply personal rendition that yearns for inner strength and peace of mind."

Other critics have describe her music as "spellbinding", calling her one of the "most compelling performers active today" who has captured "something universally human."

She has performed at The Grammy Museum and Harvard University, collaborated with NASA-JPL for her immersive astrophysical experience 'I AM', and performed for spiritual leaders including Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Sai Maa. Her philosophy is simple: music is medicine.

In this episode we cover:

✨ Radhika's life journey and the moments that shaped her

✨ Singing Sanskrit Vedic hymns and the devotion behind her art

✨ The spirituality and mindset behind her creative process

✨ Her message for anyone finding their own voice

The Village Voice has called her work "enormously powerful, alternately voluptuous and frenetic." maura nguyễn donohue has spent over 30 years as one of New York City's most distinctive voices in avant-garde dance performance — as a choreographer, curator, producer, and advocate for the art form. She is now Chair of Dance at Hunter College, one of the city's leading public colleges.

Born in Vietnam, maura's reach extends well beyond New York. She's taken her work across the US, Europe, and Asia — and from 1999 to 2004, she served as artistic advisor for Dance Theater Workshop's Mekong Project, a Rockefeller Foundation-backed initiative that brought US choreographers into creative exchanges with artists in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In this conversation, we get into her beginnings, what it meant to find her voice as a Vietnamese-Irish American, her return to Asia as an artist, where dance in the US is heading — and what's next for her.

In this episode we sit down with Perry Yung, a veteran actor, musician, and activist who embodies the essence of "Be water". The Oakland, California-native who grew up idolizing Bruce Lee, the martial artist renowned for his iconic quote, has navigated his career with remarkable flexibility and an open embrace of change.

Originally destined for a career in modern dance after winning a scholarship to study at the esteemed Martha Graham Dance Company, Perry's curiosity for exploring diverse art forms led him to pivot towards acting.

Perry's breakthrough came when he landed the role of opium den owner Ping Wu in Steven Soderbergh's critically acclaimed TV series, The Knick. This paved the way for other memorable roles, including Father Jun in Justin Lin's action-packed Warrior and Professor Ye Zhetai in the popular series Three-Body Problem, based on the sci-fi novel by Liu Cixin.

Music also holds a significant place in Perry's artistic endeavors. As an accomplished craftsman of the Japanese flute, known as the shakuhachi, he not only performs it, but also lives it as a breathing mediation in motion.

Despite his immense success, Perry remains dedicated to amplifying the voices of other Asian Americans through the SLANT Performance Group, which he co-founded in 1995.

Multi-award winning playwright, director, and translator, Aya Ogawa knows what it's like to live in many worlds and in between.

Born in Tokyo and based in Brooklyn, their work centers women and non-binary perspectives and uses the stage as a space for exploring cultural identity and the immigrant experience.

In this conversation, Aya opens up about the deeply personal journey behind their Obie Award-winning play The Nosebleed — and the profound emotion of bringing that story back to Tokyo.

They talk candidly about motherhood as a glorious, chaotic shitshow, the inspiration behind their latest work Meat Suit, and what it truly means to translate — not just words, but entire worlds — from Japanese to English.

Recipient of the 2025 Doris Duke Artist Award, the 2023 Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting, and the 2023 Obie Award for the conception, writing and direction of The Nosebleed, Aya Ogawa is one of the most energizing voices in US theatre today.

Follow Aya at https://www.instagram.com/ayagwa/

Their next show and other works: https://www.ayaogawa.com/

Wen-Ting Wu is a drummer, composer, and educator from Taiwan, now at the heart of New York City's jazz scene. From the moment she felt the swing, she followed it — across genres, across oceans, and deep into the spiritual heart of the drum.

She has performed at some of New York City's most iconic venues — including Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club, Smalls, Smoke, and at large festivals across the US and Taiwan. Wu’s diverse musical career also includes international tours with the indie-pop band Sunset Rollercoaster.

She is a regular member of Frank Lacy's Septet & Classical Jazz Ensemble, and the AAPI Jazz Collective and has shared the stage with notable artists such as Ed Cherry, Mimi Jones, Charenee Wade, Helen Sung, and Lonnie Plaxico.

For Wen-Ting, drumming is more than a career — it's something deeply spiritual. In this interview, she opens up about that profound connection to her craft, what it means to be a woman behind the kit in a male-dominated world, and what's next for one of jazz's most compelling drummers.

Wen-Ting is part of a new generation of female jazz drummers stepping into the light — bringing not just extraordinary technique, but a depth of feeling and philosophy that is reshaping what it means to sit behind the kit.

You can follow Wen-Ting at https://www.instagram.com/wentingating

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Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

Growing up Filipino American in rural Alaska, Ariel Estrada learned early that he existed at the edges. Raised in a strict Asian household, he carried those pressures with him when he set his sights on New York's acting scene, only to find new walls waiting: class barriers, industry gatekeeping. Searching for empowerment, he spent twenty years inside a brutal martial arts cult before finding his way out — and his way forward.

Today, Ariel is an actor, theater maker, producer, and the founder of Leviathan Lab, an award-winning nonprofit creative studio dedicated to advancing Asian and Asian American performing artists. In this episode, Ariel talks about the journey that shaped him and the community he built because he needed it to exist.

Learn more about Ariel at: https://www.arielestrada.com/ Follow Leviathan Lab for upcoming shows, events or how to support them: https://www.instagram.com/leviathanlab/

Subscribe to Asians in Art YouTube channel, Apple Podcast, Spotify or follow us on:

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Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

We couldn't fit everything into the main episode — so here's the bonus from the conversation where Tharanga Goonetilleke talks about her role as teacher, valuing her creativity and why issues should never have the final say on pushing artistic boundaries.

Tharanga Goonetilleke is one of opera's most distinctive voices — and one of its most thoughtful minds. We talk to her about her origins, the teachers who changed everything, taking her gift and passion to global audiences on stage, in TED talks and in classrooms, and a question that sits at the heart of art: what is the point of artistic expression?

Artwork courtesy of Tharanga Goonetilleke

Learn more about Tharanga at: https://www.tharangagoonetilleke.com

Her music and TED Talks https://www.tharangagoonetilleke.com/listen

Her artwork https://www.tharangagoonetilleke.com/art-gallery

Subscribe to our YouTube channel, Apple Podcast, Spotify or follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiashow/

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Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

Peter Lin is a Taiwanese-American trombonist, producer, and educator based in New Jersey & New York City. He was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and raised in northern New Jersey. His parents love classical and Christian rock music.

So how did he find his way into jazz? In this episode of Asians in Art, we unpack Peter's story – from school band to quartet – exploring what jazz means to him, his love of Anime and how his cultural heritage became a source of inspiration.

Music courtesy of:

Peter Lin - Sweet as Honey from the album With Respect.

https://peterlin.bandcamp.com/album/with-respect

Peter Lin with the AAPI Jazz Collective - Alishan from the album Identity.

https://peterlin.bandcamp.com/album/identity

You can listen to Peter's works or find out about his upcoming shows at https://www.peterlinmusic.com/

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Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho

Tom Hanks called him “Mr. Badass”. He’s been described as a “bro-ish menace” as Lorenzo in The Merchant of Venice and an “actor of the first order” as Prince Hal in Henry IV I. This episode of Asians in Art features the award-winning actor, writer, and narrator David Lee Huynh.

He talks about the challenges of growing up in Louisiana as a child of Vietnamese immigrants to acting in Shakespeare plays and lending his versatile voice to numerous characters in audiobooks, including Superman from the DC Comics franchise.

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Music: Justin Jen Video Editor: Szewah Chin Social Producer: Karuna Shinsho Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho Exec Producers: Szewah Chin, Karuna Shinsho